Search

Thanks for visiting! TONMO is the world's greatest online cephalopod enthusiast community, with interactive content going back to May of 2000, and a biennial conference. If you'd like to join in on the fun, become a TONMO member -- it's easy and free. You can follow us on Facebook and Twitter for more cephy goodness.

new pet octo!

Blue Ring

hello.
my name is dustin, and i'm new.
i'm 15, but i've done alot, and alot of research.
I am getting a Mercatoris. i know, they're hard to keep and have less personality, but my house is very small.
i've been in love with octopi ever since i started learning about them.

i'm getting a biocube (29?) and i know it might be too small.

they come with led lights, but i think they're blue. will they care?
and are they okay being in tanks with Bubble Tipped anemones?
please reply, thanks!

Titanites

I'm sure you're looking forward to keeping your first octopus.
A 30 gallon tank is OK for mercatoris, but I'd advise you to buy a regular glass aquarium, not a biocube. The reason is that the cube is constructed with a back area for filtration, and your octopus may go behind that wall to live. This actually happened at an LFS here in Dallas.

Also, the moonlights are blue, and you should be using red, which is the color octopuses can't see. The power compact lights that come with the unit are bright for an octopus, too.

I'm using the 29 gallon for corals and a few small inverts, but even with these I've added a small protein skimmer and I'm using an auxiliary canister filter.

There are many journals on mercatoris, and you can look at the various tanks people are using on that forum.

Cthulhu

I have not tried using a biocube for octos (ours houses one of our mantis) but I remember this journal and believe there is another that started about the same time that might help a little with how to octoproof the back. You will definitely need to set up some form of red lighting to view the animals as they will not come out during the day and if the moon lights are bright enough to see them well, they won't come out where the red light can light the tank but still not disturb the octopuses (you can easily keep 2 in a 29 gallon).

As for the anemone, I can't guide you with experience. Some anemones can be very aggressive and trap smaller octopuses and I do not keep them with the larger ones.

Pygmy Octopus

I have a merc (i think) and he's out after 11 and goes to bed before I get up (at 8). He's cool and all but I would definately get one that is not as nocternal (the only way I get Regis out during the day is to actually wake him up and then he only stays up for a tiny bit and goes back to his barnacle)
I've had him about a week and have had 2 mins of actual octo viewing (at night, half asleep in my PJs)
GOOD LUCK!
ooo I also have a pink urchin, he keeps picking up my hermit crabs, snails, thermometer, small rocks anything he can grab onto. I

Cthulhu

You will want to keep any ceph tank at full marine salinity (3.5) or using a hydrometer Specific Gravity of 1.026. You will see this marked as a higher than normal reading on most hydrometers as reef and fish keepers usually reduce the salinity to help minimize parasites.

Blue Ring

You will want to keep any ceph tank at full marine salinity (3.5) or using a hydrometer Specific Gravity of 1.026. You will see this marked as a higher than normal reading on most hydrometers as reef and fish keepers usually reduce the salinity to help minimize parasites.